𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒; outer banks

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

"Give it to me," Atticus mumbled as JJ fumbled with the piece of gold, hiding it beneath the seat.

"Did you bring the gun?" John B asked with urgency.

"No, okay? Everybody told me to leave it back at the place," JJ muttered with wide eyes.

Meanwhile, Renna had clutched Atticus' shoulder as she stared at the car pulling in behind them.

"That doesn't look like a cop car, does it?" She asked, the boy beside her turning to look into her wild, anxious eyes before following her train of sight. She was right, the vehicle was in no way fit to be a police officer, but they had the lights.

"It does look . . . too good to be a cop car. But, they had the lights, Renna," he reassured her, his sight still, however, latched onto the front of the obscure vehicle. His eyes were squinted, him slightly leaning forward on the edge of his seat, whilst he watched the driver's door open. As soon as he saw the man's face, or more so the visible half of his face, he widened his eyes. "Hold up."

"Oh my god, that's not a cop!" Renna whisper-shouted, eyes turning to everyone else in the vehicle. At the girl's sudden outburst, everyone went silent and looked at the pair. Atticus leant back, hand whacking John B's shoulder as he watched the man outside hurry closer and closer to the van.

"John, JB! Drive, man, go!" But it was too late. The gun cocked right beside their friend's head.

"Why don't I go ahead and see them hands in the air, right now? All y'all's hands up in the air, now!" The unknown man shouted as John  B slowly raised his arms into the air, everyone else in the van following behind him. "You, out of the car, let's go."

"Stay behind me," Atticus whispered into Renna's ear as he subtly shuffled in front of her.

"Out of the car! Let's go! Hurry! Let them out!" John B cautiously walked around the van with his hands in the air, a gun still pointed at his chest. He opened the sliding door.

"There you go, pretty girl. Here we go! Get out the car, let's go! Hurry up!" The masked man shouted as Sarah stepped out. "There you go, c'mon. That's right, princess. That's right-" he waved Renna out, the tip of his gun pressed to her shoulder. She bit her lip to hide her cries as Atticus looked back at her. He immediately pushed himself between her and the gun.

"Hey-"

"Get back to where you were! Stay back!" He shouted in Atticus' face, the boy tilting his chin up high as he subtly nudged Renna back.

"We're broke-" JJ interrupted desperately.

"Shut the hell up!"

"All right! Just relax!" He retorted, anger-stricken.

"Shut the hell up! Shut up!" He pushed JJ back, who was the last to climb out of the vehicle. "Lay down in the ditch! Lay down in the ditch!" He instructed, so they followed his orders. They stayed there, lying in the dirt, while the man searched their van, turning it upside down. Suddenly, however, going against his rules, Atticus stood up.

"Wait- darlin', no. No, come back, no!" Atticus pressed a quick kiss to Renna's outstretched hand before running towards the car, John B not far behind him.

"Goddamn it!" She shouted beneath her breath as she angrily pushed her fist into the ground. Then the man came back out, with the gold in his hand. All Renna could think about whilst he shouted at them again was the two boys hidden in the backseat of his unofficial police car. When he got in the car, it moved and moved and moved, until the three boys fell out in a brawl.

"Guys, I got the gun!" John B shouted as Atticus punched him in the face. They all took turns at knocking him around - some getting pushed to the ground in the process whilst the rest were there to pull them back up. When JJ pulled the man's mask down, he bubbled over. He was fuming.